The Crenshaw Christian Center church on the corner of 96th street and Central Park West that’s expected to be turned into condos will undergo four months of asbestos removal — for 17 hours a day during the week and eight and a half hours on Saturdays.
The owners will also detail plans for the condo conversion to the landmarked church in meetings over the next few weeks (still waiting to learn the dates of those meetings). Community members, a union, and Council Member Mark Levine have been raising concerns about the project since the asbestos removal began a couple of weeks ago.
The owners have been posting the not below in the lobby of buildings near the church.
I’d hate to be living next door to this project.. Sounds messy and dangerous.
I do hope that they put some thought into the design of the new condos.. Would like to see the church incorporated into the new building .
There was a very vocal union demonstration, rat included, in front of the church by members of the Insulation union. Please follow up on this.
Hello Ann Blu-
Union vs. ‘Free Enterprise’ – period!! The owners of the building want to pay as close to $0.00 as possible (maximizing PROFIT) – for whoM – guess?) – the American way??
Asbestos removal ‘per NYC & NYS laws’ is very regulated (from removal to it’s final resting place – which (per law) must be via a license carrier to a license resting place – (sorry I thought disposure was a word – but computer says NO and we know IT is always right – right)? UNIONS contractors are all registered and licensed by NYC and are sworn to abide by all laws; city, state and federal. The (FreeE’s) since they will not exist After Each of their Projects is complete, sign in for only THIS PROJECT – and since this is a “One Time Deal for Them’, it isn’t necessary to worry too much if they are caught breaking a Few Little Regulation – read LAWS (just pay the $500 fine and move one -right)?
Before you think I am taking one side over the other; I have worked on projects where UNIONS have done Asbestos work. I was there to witness the work. I collected the required signed and verified Asbestos disposal papers (including weights, method and safety of transportation, attested to by the licensed Disposure (sorry about that) Companies, which BY LAW were then supplied for the records of city, state and federal agencies.
Back to my independent thoughts:
To my mind 70% of these disposals (lead paint, asbestos etc) is a waste of hugh amount of money. I only know that Union companies were always held to standard that the ‘free enterprisers’ are (by their very belief system) sworn to avoid at all costs) or “maximization of profit”.
Hope this helps.
richard nyc
The exterior of the church is landmarked, technically. The new owners want to remove the John LaFarge stained glass windows to expand the window openings, which to me certainly sounds like a major alteration of the exterior.
Also, the church across 96th St. is also undergoing some kind of conversion. It really feels like the neighborhood is under attack.
The noisy demonstrations continue daily.
Addition to my note of yesterday.
WHO IS INSPECTING THE ASBESTOS REMOVAL ON SITE ??
WHO IS TRANSPORTING THE MATERIAL and are they LICENSED ??
WHAT IS NAME OF COMPANY RECEIVING AND DISPOSING OF THE ASBESTOS ??
ARE THEY AND THEIR PROPERTY NYC/NYS/FED. LICENSED TO RECEIVE AND DISPOSE OF THESE MATERIALS ??
Richard